Honey Fungus Resistant Plants

Certain honey fungus grows on wood.

Honey fungus thrives on the roots of many woody and perennial plants, according to the Royal Horticultural Society. Honey fungus destroys the plant by attacking and killing its underground root system. This fungus also grows between the wood and bark of trees. Honey fungus takes on two appearances: the fungus found on tree bark is white, but it also morphs into honey-colored toadstools. Some plants are more adept at resisting honey fungus than others.

Taxus baccata

The Taxus baccata, commonly known as the English yew, is not only resistant to honey fungus, but nearly all plant disease. The English yew is a thick hedge that grows up to 20 to 25 feet. The hedge's dark green density makes it a popular plant for pruning into shapes. Do not eat the tiny red fruit that blossoms on the English yew in the spring, as it is poisonous. Although the English yew is not native to the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture gives it a fairly wide continental planting range. The only states in which the USDA does not recommend planting English yew are Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Jungians nigra

The black walnut (Jungians nigra) tree is another plant that is resistant to most disease, including honey fungus. Black walnuts are a constant work in progress, taking nearly 150 years to reach full maturity. These trees reach heights of 70 to 80 feet, and their trunks grow in diameter from 2 to 4 feet. The black walnut tree thrives in the Eastern portion of the United States. It prefers a deep neutral soil that is well drained and loves to sunbathe in direct sunlight. Black walnuts would not survive in desert climates; they need an average annual rainfall of 35 inches and do not like temperatures hotter than 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Acer Segundo

The Acer Segundo, or boxelder, is a maple tree that is grown throughout North America and found in abundance in the wet soils of river bottoms and areas that are flooded at least 30 days out of the year. Boxelders on average grow to be about 65 feet tall, requiring full sunlight to achieve maximum growth potential. Boxelders grow much faster than black walnuts, adding 1 inch to their trunks during their first 15- to 20-year growth spurt. Boxelders generally only live for 60 years, although a few have lived longer than 100 years. Boxelders are resilient to honey fungus and most other tree disease. In fact, they even have their own insect called the boxelder bug. These bugs rarely damage the tree, but can become a nuisance to humans during cold weather.

References

• Royal Horticultural Society: Honey Fungus
• U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service: Taxus baccata
• USDA NRCS: Plant Fact Sheet: Black Walnut
• USDA NRCS: Plant Guide: Boxelder